Stupid

Jason returns the squeeze to Katie's hand. It was an odd feeling... but a good one. He couldn't feel her good emotions like she could his, but yet he knew they were there, intertwined within the unspoken language. It was a sharing of hearts... his emotions flowed to her, giving her more so she could give back again. Back and forth, seamlessly the emotions thrived, broken only when negative emotions were introduced to the flow. He wondered if they would ever be able to conquer it entirely, or if it would always be an untamed beast to be wrestled with.

His eyes meet hers and he realizes that he'd just shared all of that with her. The corner of his mouth crooks a little as he sits up and pulls her closer to him, kissing her forehead.

You don't have to thank me for anything. I'm glad I came... and I'd stay if I could. I'm looking forward to you being back home again too.


Mick grits his teeth against any more words that wanted to come. He felt like they were going in circles without anyone understanding what the other meant, just making the whole thing worse. He hadn't meant to talk down to Dan, and all he wanted to do later was make sure they straightened this whole mess out and get Dan to realize he was a respected ranch hand, while at the same time, a little reminder that Mick had the right to use whatever tone he wanted as boss couldn't hurt. But maybe things had been messed up too much for that now. How on earth had this started again?

Stepping back, he watches as Dan pulls away before groaning and tipping his hat back on his head. Looking up to the sky, he squints at the clouds. "It's days like these, I feel too old for this," he grumbles. So he'd been wrong... it hadn't been what he thought, then on top of it, Dan even had the rest of the day off without him having realized it, making him look even stupider.

Leaving the buckets where they were, Mick aims for the office. Getting inside, he's quick to find Rosetta at the desk. "Why didn't I know Dan had the rest of the day off?" He takes his hat off and slaps it down on the table with frustration. "Do I have stupid written all over my face today or what?"

As soon as he'd said it, he felt sorry. It was rare that he snapped at Rosetta, even rarer when it wasn't even her fault. Sinking down in a chair, he puts his elbows on the table to bury his face in his hands. "I'm sorry," he mumbles, his words muffled in his palms. He knew his wife would be totally clueless as to what had been going on outside. "When did things get so hard?"